On 13 July, Julie Burchill answered questions live on News Unlimited. Several hundred messages were posted, and a number of users have asked us to provide a transcript of her comments.
Wednesday July 14,
1999
The
Guardian
On whether she will write a rebuttal to the Daily Mail's attack on her
maternal qualities:
On whether she is really a communist:
On why people either love or hate her:
On a proposed biopic, and who should star in it:
On getting a man:
On 'not actually having much to say about anything':
On making a difference:
On the difference between misery and depression: There is a difference
between misery and depression. I have often felt mis because I'd spent all my
money on confectionary and had nothing left to pay the taxman with, but I'd
never claim that this was an illness that needed treating. It wasn't. I'm just
greedy.
On whether Brighton is for people who are scared of London:
On being called the smartest woman in Britain:
Signing off: I'll be back - I love you all, Julie
Hello, it's me. Re my worst mother in Britain status;
I won't be writing a rebuttal, as I am not a whining crybaby like the two fools
I married. Thank you for your interest though.
Re what makes a good
communist; I think it has to do with faith as much as anything else, and faith
is hard to explain. I think I would have thrived under Soviet state capitalism.
Writers who toed the party line were very well rewarded, with dachas on the
Black Sea and such.
I think the majority of
people are totally indifferent to me, which doesn't bother me at all. I have
never craved the approval of strangers, or anyone come to that.
Re my life story
as a feature film; It is actually going to be made, provisionally entitled
ANGEL. I would think that perfect casting might be Sherilyn Fenn for the first
20 years, and Jo Brand for the second 20.
Anyone can get a man - especially a man.
It's a fair
cop guvnor! I've been in this racket since I was 17 and I'm 40 now; I'd be lying
if I said that I still felt as strongly about every little thing as I once
did.
I know I should, and I wish I could, but I
have been a one-trick pony so long I wouldn't know where to start. This is my
tragedy. But, hey, I'm bearing up!
No,
Brighton is not for people who are scared of London; it's for people who are
tired of spending half their lives in gridlock and the other half avoiding Janet
Street-Porter.
It was a joke even
then, in the 80s, and it's certainly a howl now my brain has turned to mush.
What people fail to get about me is that I totally can see myself how I really
am; I've got no illusions as to my importance in the scheme of things. The
smartest woman in Britain is Barbara Castle.
I'm sorry to have answered so few questions, but I
have been effectively consumed by the love of my people. I KNEW this would
happen.